The workflow during an uptake period immediately before a PET (positron emission tomography) scan is very important for the quality of the scan. During this uptake period the patient is injected with a radioactively labeled sugar, often FDG, and subsequently scanned with either a standalone PET scanner or a combination of PET with either CT or MR for anatomical information. A number of steps have to be performed by the clinical personnel several of which require a high level of patient compliance. There is a need to make this workflow run more smoothly.
Patient relaxation is of crucial importance in the time period immediately before and after the injection. If the patient is stressed in this period then the uptake will not be successful with FDG or radioactively labeled sugar being excessively consumed by overly stressed muscles and brain activity. Patients often get anxious during this uptake period due to the fact that they are in unfamiliar surroundings, are unsure about the examination and may have previous negative associations with clinical devices and or environments. Accordingly, there is a need to improving patient comfort and reducing anxiety before and during the examination.
Furthermore, patients are often of advanced age and have narrow veins that are difficult to locate. The injection is therefore often a difficult procedure which may increase patient anxiety and may prolong the examination. Thus, there is a need to improve the injection process.
US 2010060726 discloses a medical surgery or examination room and a method for illuminating such a room, wherein a substantial part of the room or the entire room is illuminated with colored lighting different from white lighting in order to achieve beneficial psychological effects or, primarily, to improve working conditions. For example, green light may be provided behind the monitors used by a surgeon during operation and red light in a zone behind a surgeon during operation or examination. The lighting may be controlled by a computer with a touch screen interface.
Whereas US 2010060726 discloses a lighting system for use within a hospital environment, the inventors of the present invention has appreciated that an improved lighting control system is of benefit, and has in consequence devised the present invention.